1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for sterilizing objects, particularly hands, by dry scrubbing in an agitated bed of small, porous particles charged with a liquid disinfectant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent research has proven that many infections and communicable diseases are readily spread by the human hand. Some researchers have termed this "hand to hand", but in reality it is usually "hand to object to hand". In other words, a person with soiled hands touches an object that is then contaminated with whatever pathogen(s) he had on his hand. Later, another person touches the contaminated object and transfers the pathogen(s) to his hand. Since many pathogens live outside the human body for up to five hours, the seriousness of this problem is obvious.
It has been shown that 90% of persons with the common cold carry live rhinovirus on their hands. It is, therefore, not surprising that nearly 75% of common colds are caused by "hand to hand" contact. When one also considers that 100% of the population carries E. Coli and 30 to 50% carries Staph. Aureus, the relationship between personal hygiene, "hand to hand" contact and the spread of infections and communicable diseases is evident.
Currently, there are two methods of insuring that one has sterile hands, i.e., hands free of pathogens, washing and wearing sterile gloves. Medical personnel have traditionally washed with surgical soap, i.e., soaps containing anti-bacterial agents such as hexaresorcinol. Rubber gloves are sterilized prior to use via cryoclaving, heating or other means.
Washing as the means of achieving sterilization has a number of disadvantages, including inconvenience, time, and chapping or drying of skin as well as allergic reactions to the anti-bacterial agents in the soap. Research has shown that even medical personnel in an acute care hospital are not conscientious about hand cleanliness. Many nurses have 15 to 200 patient contacts between hand washings. The average medical doctor has 16 patient contacts between hand washings. The result of this lack of hand cleanliness is that 6% of all hospital patients will acquire an infection or disease while in the hospital.
Rubber gloves also have a number of disadvantages in that they are relatively expensive, hard to don, uncomfortable and tend to make hand movements awkward. A further drawback is that the gloves are only sterile if properly donned and only prior to contacting contaminated objects.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a means to achieve effective sterilization of hands and other objects, which avoids the problems associated with hand washing, sterilized gloves or other conventional sterilization methods.